Newspaper Page Text
2 (1070) THE
WHAT DO OUR READERS THINK?
We have a subject which we wish to present
to our readers for their consideration, without
* expressing any opinion upon it ourselves. We
recently heard a lecture from a prominent lawyer
of this country who took a position ill
regard to the Roman Catholic Church which
was new to us. We can only give the outline
of the principal thoughts which he nresented
on this subject.
The Pope of Home claims to be a temporal
sovereign, and to have the same civil rights
which are possessed by other reigning sovereigns.
He continually speaks of his throne,
and occupies this throne on all official occasions.
The cardinals, who are his representatives
in various parts of the world, each has
his throne. The throne belongs to royalty or
junices or rne realm, ana only to those who
claim to hold such position.
The Pope's claim of temporal power, is recognized
by most of the larger countries of the
world by their sending ambassadors to the
Court of the Vatican, just as they send embassadors
to other courts, and receiving the
representatives of the Vatican just as they
receive those from other countries.
The Pope has no territorial domain over
which he reigns, as he had up to the time when
Italy rejected his claim to temporal power. If
he is a temporal prince he must have subjects
over whom he reigns. Having no territorv
over which he reigns, he can claim no subjects
such as the sovereigns of other countries claim,
that is, those who live in the territory over
which they reign. The only subjects that the
Pope can claim are the members of the Roman
Catholic Church. If he has temporal power,
and they are his subjects, they should render
temporal allegiance.
When subjects of other sovereigns come to
this country, before they are allowed to vote
or hold office they are required to forswear all
legiance to him as a civil prince before he
ject of Germany must forswear all allegiance'
to the Emperor. A subject of England must
forswear allegiance to the King. A citizen of
the republie of France must forswear alle
giance to that republic in order that he may
become a citizen of this country, with all of
the rights and privileges pertaining to that
position.
Upon this principle, the subjects of the Pope
of Rome should be required to forswear all allegiance
to him as the civil prince before he
is allowed the right of citizenship in this country.
Of course, this has nothing to do with the
question of the religion of the Catholics or
anybody else. It merely deals with the Pope's
claim to possess civil power, to have the right
to exercise it all over the world.
This is the position taken by the lawyer to
whom we referred, and is presented for our
readers' consideration.
ra.iuoDX lrjKLAniBia LN ATLANTA.
The South has a larger proportion of its
, population in the country than any other part
of our land. Seventy-five per cent of her population
are in the country. But,, like other
portions of our land, the towns and cities are
growing much more rapidly than the country
districts. There are many communities that
have less population than they had ten years
ago. The cry "back to the land." has not re
suited in turning many "urbanites" to the
soil. It may have stayed the exodus to the
city somewhat.
The cities dominate the ideals of the country.
New plans and processes of church life find
their finest fruitage in the city church.
PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SC
A..J il it , .1
auu Hum mt'se mey seep into tne country
church.
In the city is the accumulation of wealth.
And if the kingdom of God is to be mightily
assisted by money, the city church will be
more likely to secure it.
It is an interesting question to ask how is
Presbyterianism succeeding in the cities of the
South ? * ?
One of the most aggressive cities is Atlanta.
If for nothing else she is noted for that indefinable
impulse called the "Atlanta spirit"?
churches partake largely of the spirit of the
place in which they are. While thev heln to
produce it and often temper it for the best,
yet they are affected largely by the atmosphere
of the town in which they are.
We would expect the churches of Atlanta to
be wide-awake, aggressive and expansive in
their ideas. When we look into their life we
are not disappointed.
We find that there are nineteen organizations
in Atlanta and its suburbs. That in these nineteen
churches there are 5,934 resident members.
To these churches were added 860 members.
The members gave last year $153,000.
an average of over $26 per member.
There is a hopeful outlook in all these
churches, the work being different in many
respects.
The Central church is the largest in membership
and occupies a strategic position in
the heart of the city. Its membership is most
loyal. It is splendidly organized and has not
hesitated to face the social evils of a great city
with marked success. Its Sunday-school has
- an enrollment of 1,164 and there were 780 present
on December 3rd. This Church supports a
Colored Mission, which is doing good work for
the negroes of Atlanta.
North Avenue is one of the most vigorous
churches in the city, of any denomination. In
twenty years it has grown from a small body
to a strong, well-organized Church of 1,100
members. It has outgrown its seating capacity
and is planning to enlarge its room. The
Sunday-school reaches the great Technological
school with a large class of 140 boys taught
by a gifted woman. This church has also fostered
and built up a day schohi in which the
Bible is an important and necessary feature.
It also has a Sunday-school enrollment of over
a thousand and had present on December 3rd,
597.
The First church, for a loug time barely hehl
its own in its down-town situation, but two
years ago it moved out two miles into the heart
of the finest residence section of the city, and
built a first class Sunday-school room and
manse, pending the sale of the church property
down town. This sale has been accomplished
at a price of $106,000, with which they will
build a splendid auditorium, badly needed for
their growing congregation. The results have
more than justified the move. Without the
Inoa o a ~1 1
mvjc,o vfj. a anisic luemuur X/iiey nave added in
one year's time, 145 to the membership of the
church and increased the Sunday-school enrollment
by several hundred per cent. Their
Sunday-school attendance for the Sunday previously
mentioned was 332.
Westminster church is in the semi-central
section of the city. Organized 16 years ago
with 65 members, it has grown to a resident
membership of 459. In proportion to church
membership; and its school has no student body
in it. heinc f?r ?wnv fmm nil ? ~i _ -"
_ J 0 .. ?J uviu uil Liic SCIIUU1H Ol
the city, yet it has the highest percentage of
any church in Sunday-school attendance, compared
with the church membership. Its attendance
December 3rd was 308. It has a remarkable
Home Department, managed by-a remark4
iMCFtian?. ?.r,
IUTH [December 27, 191 (i I
able man. lie is confined to his rolling chair, I
but by the assistance of fifteen faithful visitors
has built un a Homo DAnartmAnt nf 17fi
? z ? -.w, \jicr
a hundred of whom study every lesson.
West End has built a handsome church, with
all modern Sunday-school- arrangement and
is going forward to greater and better things
under the leadership of its gifted pastor.
Pryor Street has had a most remarkable
growth from Sunday to Sunday on profession
of faith, under the spiritual and evangelistic
preaching of its pastor, Rev. J. Edwin Hemp,
hill.
Nearlv every other church, Druid Park,
Moore Memorial, is showing rapid and sturdy
crrnwfVi nlnn? oil linao
C" -
There is a growing spirit of Presbyterian
solidarity among the churches of the Presby-M
terian faith. Great things are before them I
and they are reaching out for better work andfl
more consecration in the Master's service. This?
has been accomplished by preaching the old!
gospel that Drs. Strickler and Barnett preached ?
and practiced for so many years. The "newfl
thought" lias no consideration in Presbyterianfl
pulpits or Presbyterian hearts in Atlanta.
The gospel of the crucified Christ is still then
power of God unto salvation in Atlanta.
A. A. L.
Contributed
VIRGINIA.
By Mrs. Florence Wilson Flournoy.
Did you ever visit Virginia?
Where the sky and the blood are blue?
\\ here money can't buy the welcome,
They give from their hearts to you. .
There are chickens and biscuit, and ham and cake
That go with that welcome, too?
But the thing you hold with a pleasure untold,
Is the love they show to you.
1 found nothing green in Virginia,
But the earth and the things that grew,
For their hearts are wise, and the secret lies,
In the fact that their hearts are true,.
Though I live in a city of Yankees
Most of the long year through.
Where no sound of a bird is ever heard,
But the "buy cast" of the Jew,
Where the blood is red with struggle,
And the dollar always due.
1 am glad I know, that here below,
There's one spot where the light shines
through.
New York. ^
THE BUSINESS OF THE CHUBCH.
By Rev. E. C. Gordon, D. D.
It appears that a good many people have no
settled opinion on this important subject, yet
it may fairly be asked. Whv oncht. there tn be
any serious difference of opinion about it, in
view of the teaching of the Bible, and espe- .
cially of the New Testament?
Certainly our Lord sets forth in the Great
Commission, Matt. 28:18-20, the fundamental
truths as to the Church's business. It has three
great functions: To '' disciple all the nations;
to baptize the disciples; to teach disciples to
observe all thincrs whatsoever he hno roin
manded.
I think every intelligent student of ?ur j
Lord's business will admit that the business as
thus outlined is a very great business, even if
we limit the third duty to disciples: professed!
Christians and their children.
Our conception of the scope of this business
will be enlarged, if we will study the Ten Commandments,
the Sermon on the Mount, and the
'